Die sowjetische Landwirtschaft im Entscheidungsjahr der Planperiode
Soviet Agriculture During the Decisive Year of the Plan Period

Summary/Abstract: Soviet agriculture has signaled a record harvest in 1973, which made good much of the ground lost during the preceding two years. The article describes the unusual vegetation and harvest conditions of 1973 and the quantitative results of these and of the current efforts to speed up the growth of agricultural production. It also tries to outline the prospects for 1974 and for fulfillment of the downward revised targets of the current five year plan. Expansion of the area sown to grain as well as the irrigated area and fulfillment of investment plans for agriculture, in the face of non-fulfillment for the economy at large, are the principal remedies applied for the remaining two years. Lagging of the animal sector and shortage of labour, enhanced by expanded acreage and growing livestock herds and causing high costs, especially at harvest time, are the main brakes on production growth. These factors are analyzed in some detail and weighed against each other. The conclusion is that the five year plan will be fulfilled not wholly but with acceptable shortfalls. Yet the cost, in direct and indirect subsidies and in material of short supply, will become staggering. Appropriate replacement of capital stock in agriculture will be possible under the next five year plan (1976-1980) at the very earliest. With incomes and demand for agricultural produce growing, repressed inflation in a dirigiste economy will remain a characteristic of the Soviet economy for the foreseeable future.

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